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Professor James Franklin

Professor James Franklin

Honorary Professor
Science
School of Mathematics & Statistics

ABOUT ME

 

Biography

My research covers the philosophy of mathematics, extreme risk theory, ethics and the history of ideas. In all cases it combines the insights of mathematics (with its proofs, certainty and objectivity) with the culture of humanistic scholarship (with its understanding of how humans approach knowledge).

Education

  • BA (Hons) in pure mathematics, Sydney University, 1974
  • MA (Hons), Sydney University, 1976
  • PhD in Mathematics, Warwick University, 1982

 

RESEARCH

 

Research Goals

  • To complete a realist philosophy of mathematics, with a concentration on applied mathematics
  • To develop a philosophy of probability and statistics based on objective Bayesianism
  • To understand the foundations of ethics from the perspective of a natural and inherent “worth of persons”
  • To explain the interaction of data and expert opinion in the evaluation of extreme risks
  • To understand the main lines of Australian Catholic history.

Research in Detail

In the philosophy of mathematics, my 2014 book, An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, developed a realist alternative to Platonism and nominalism, arguing that mathematics is the science of certain aspects of the real world, especially the quantitative and structural ones.

My 2022 book The Worth of Persons: The Foundation of Ethics explains how ethics in the sense of what to do follows from something more basic, the worth of persons arising from their rationality, consciousness and emotional structure.

My research on extreme risks looks at the problems of combining very small amounts of data with expert opinion to reach reasonable estimates of the chance of very rare events with large negative consequences.

My work in the history of ideas includes two books, The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability Before Pascal (2001/2015) and Corrupting the Youth: A History of Philosophy in Australia. My 2023 book, Catholic Thought and Catholic Action: Scenes from Australian Catholic Life showed how ideas translated into practice.

Research Grants

  • J. Franklin and C. Legg, ARC Discovery Grant 2006 - 2008, Recovering the virtue of self-control or temperance to strengthen the Australian social fabric
  • J. Franklin and D.M. Armstrong, ARC Discovery Grant 2007 - 2009, Mathematics, the science of real structure: an Australian realist philosophy of mathematics

Current Student Projects (Masters and Honours)

The role of logic in an Aristotelian realist philosophy of mathematics

Objective Bayesianism as a foundation of the theory of probability and evidence

Advice for prospective students

Young would-be researchers should aim at technical perfection in some subfield as a springboard for wide-ranging inquiry into the important questions.

 

TEACHING & OUTREACH

 

Courses I teach

Now retired

Professional affiliations and service positions

I am the founder of the Sydney School in the Philosophy of Mathematics

I am the editor of the Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society

Since 2012 I have been a member of the Council of St John’s College, Sydney University

I set up the Australian Database of Indigenous Violence

 

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

 

Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics, 2005
Phone
9428 5306
E-mail
j.franklin@unsw.edu.au
Location
School of Mathematics and Statistics University of New South Wales Kensington NSW 2052
  • Books | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, The Worth of Persons: The Foundations of Ethics, Encounter Books, New York, https://www.amazon.com.au/Worth-Persons-Foundation-Ethics-ebook/dp/B09NSZ9M2X
    Books | 2015
    Franklin JW; Nolan GO; Gilchrist M, 2015, The Real Archbishop Mannix: From the Sources, Connor Court Publishing, Ballarat, http://www.connorcourt.com/catalog1/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=315
    Books | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave MacMillan, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734
    Books | 2011
    Franklin J; Daoud A, 2011, Proof in Mathematics, http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim
    Books | 2009
    Franklin JW, 2009, What Science Knows And How It Knows It, 10, Encounter Books, New York, USA, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11191-010-9227-1
    Books | 2007
    Franklin J, 2007, Life to the Full Rights and Social Justice in Australia, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd
    Books | 2006
    Franklin J, 2006, Catholic Values and Australian Realities, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, Ballan, Vic, http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim
    Books | 2003
    Franklin JW, 2003, Corrupting the Youth, Original, Macleay Press, Sydney
    Books | 2001
    Franklin JW, 2001, The science of conjecture: evidence and probability before Pascal, Original, Johns Hopkins University Press, USA
    Books | 1988
    Franklin J; Daoud A, 1988, Introduction to Proofs in Mathematics
  • Book Chapters | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, 'Demonstration, Method of', in Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences, Springer International Publishing, pp. 426 - 430, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31069-5_55
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Franklin J, 2021, 'Bayesian Perspectives on Mathematical Practice', in Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Mathematical Practice, Springer International Publishing, pp. 1 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19071-2_84-2
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Franklin J, 2021, 'Quantifying Risks: Traditions and practices in medieval Western Christian world', in Heiduk M (ed.), Prognostication in the Medieval World A Handbook, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, Berlin, pp. 697 - 710, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110499773-041
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'Bayesian perspectives on mathematical practice', in Sriraman B (ed.), Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Mathematical Practice, Springer, Cham, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19071-2_84-1
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'Demonstration, Method of', in Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences, Springer International Publishing, pp. 1 - 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20791-9_55-1
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'Demonstration, method of', in Jalobeanu D; Wolfe C (ed.), Encyclopedia of Early Modern Philosophy and the Sciences, Springer, Cham, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20791-9
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'Incomprehension of religion in Australian society', in Turner B; Freeman D (ed.), FAITH'S PLACE Democracy in a Religious World, Kapunda Press, pp. 177 - 185
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Franklin J, 2018, 'Mathematics, core of the past and hope of the future', in Runcie CA; Brooks D (ed.), Reclaiming Education Renewing Schools and Universities in Contemporary Western Culture, Edwin H. Lowe Publishing, Sydney, pp. 149 - 162
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Franklin J, 2018, 'Pascal’s Wager and the Origins of Decision Theory: Decision-Making by Real Decision-Makers', in Pascal’s Wager, pp. 27 - 44, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781316850398.002
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Franklin J, 2018, 'Pascal’s Wager and the Origins of Decision Theory: Decision-Making by Real Decision-Makers', in Bartha P; Pasternack L (ed.), Pascal's Wager, edn. Classic Philosophical Arguments, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 27 - 44, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781316850398
    Book Chapters | 2017
    Franklin JW, 2017, 'Early Modern Mathematical Principles and Symmetry Arguments', in The Idea of Principles in Early Modern Thought Interdisciplinary Perspectives, edn. Routledge Studies in Seventeenth Century Philosophy, Routledge, New York, pp. 16 - 44, https://www.routledge.com/The-Idea-of-Principles-in-Early-Modern-Thought-Interdisciplinary-Perspectives/Anstey/p/book/9781138211582
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Franklin JW, 2016, 'Pre-history of probability', in Hayek A; Hitchcock C (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Probability and Philosophy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 33 - 49, https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-probability-and-philosophy-9780199607617?cc=au&lang=en&#
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Comparisons and Objections', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 101 - 128, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_8
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Elementary Mathematics: The Science of Quantity', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 31 - 47, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_4
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Epilogue: Mathematics, Last Bastion of Reason', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 260 - 262, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_17
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Explanation in Mathematics', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 207 - 221, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_14
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Geometry: Mathematics or Empirical Science?', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 141 - 162, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_10
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Higher Mathematics: Science of the Purely Structural', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 48 - 66, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_5
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Idealization: An Aristotelian View', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 222 - 240, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_15
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Infinity', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 129 - 140, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_9
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Introduction', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Springer Nature, pp. 1 - 7, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_1
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Knowing Mathematics: Pattern Recognition and Perception of Quantity and Structure', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 165 - 179, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_11
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Knowing Mathematics: Proof and Certainty', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 192 - 206, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_13
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Knowing Mathematics: Visualization and Understanding', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 180 - 191, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_12
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Necessary Truths about Reality', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 67 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_6
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Non-Deductive Logic in Mathematics', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 241 - 259, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_16
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'The Aristotelian Realist Point of View', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 11 - 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_2
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'The Formal Sciences Discover the Philosophers’ Stone', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 82 - 100, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_7
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Uninstantiated Universals and ‘Semi-Platonist’ Aristotelianism', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Springer Nature, pp. 21 - 30, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734_3
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Uninstantiated Universals and ‘Semi-Platonist’ Aristotelianism', in An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics, Springer Nature, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137400734.0007
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Franklin JW, 2014, 'Quantity and number', in Novotný DD; Novák L (ed.), Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives in Metaphysics, edn. Routledge Studies in Metaphysics, Routledge, New York and London, pp. 221 - 244, http://routledge-ny.com/books/series/RSM/
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Franklin JW, 2013, 'Non-deductive logic in Mathematics: The probability of conjectures', in Aberdein A; Dove IJ (ed.), The Argument of Mathematics, Springer Science & Business, pp. 11 - 29, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6534-4_2
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Franklin JW, 2013, 'Probable opinion', in Oxford Handbook of British Philosophy in the Seventeenth Century, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 349 - 372, http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Franklin JW, 2013, 'Science matters in a post-modern world', in Johns G (ed.), Really Dangerous Ideas, edn. Original, Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia, pp. 29 - 34
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Newstead A; Franklin J, 2013, 'Indispensability Without Platonism', in Properties, Powers and Structures: Issues in the Metaphysics of Realism, pp. 81 - 97, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203124482-13
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Newstead AG; Franklin JW, 2012, 'Indispensability without platonism', in Bird A; Ellis B; Sankey H (ed.), Properties, Powers and Structures: Issues in the Metaphysics of Realism, Routledge, pp. 81 - 97, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203124482
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Williams G; Kildea P; Lynch AN, 2012, 'Introduction', in Kildea P; Lynch A; Williams G (ed.), Tomorrow's Federation: Reforming Australian Government, edn. Original, Federation Press, Annandale, NSW, pp. 1 - 4, http://www.federationpress.com.au/bookstore/book.asp?isbn=9781862878228
    Book Chapters | 2011
    Franklin JW, 2011, 'Philosophy in Sydney', in Oppy G; Trakakis NN (ed.), The Antipodean Philosopher Volume 1: Public Lectures on Philosophy in Australia and New Zealand, edn. First, Lexington Books, Plymouth, UK, pp. 61 - 66
    Book Chapters | 2009
    Franklin JW, 2009, 'Aristotelian realism', in Irvine AD (ed.), Handbook of the Philosophy of Science: Philosophy of Mathematics, Elsevier BV, North Holland, Netherlands, pp. 103 - 155, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-51555-1.50007-9
    Book Chapters | 2006
    Franklin JW, 2006, 'Artifice and the natural world: mathematics, logic, technology', in Haakonssen K (ed.), The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Philosophy, edn. 1, Cambridge University Press, USA, pp. 817 - 853
    Book Chapters | 2005
    Franklin JW, 2005, 'Traditional Catholic philosophy: baby and bathwater', in Whelan M (ed.), Issues for Church and Society in Australia The Aquinas Academy Jubilee Lectures 2005, St Paul's Publications, Sydney, pp. 15 - 32
    Book Chapters | 2000
    Franklin J, 2000, 'Artifice and the Natural World: Mathematics, Logic, Technology', in The Cambridge History of Eighteenth-Century Philosophy, Cambridge University Press (CUP), pp. 815 - 853, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521867436.009
    Book Chapters | 2000
    Franklin JW, 2000, 'Diagrammatic reasoning and modelling in the imagination: The secret weapons of the scientific revolution', in 1543 and all that: Image and word, change and continuity in the proto-scientific revolution, edn. Original, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, pp. 53 - 115
    Book Chapters | 1991
    Franklin JW, 1991, 'The ancient legal sources of seventeeth-century probability', in Gaukroger S (ed.), The Uses of Antiquity The Scientific Revolution and the Classical Tradition, Springer Science & Business Media, Dordrecht, pp. 123 - 144
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Franklin J, 2023, ''Let no-one ignorant of geometry ...'": Mathematical parallels for understanding the objectivity of ethics', Journal of Value Inquiry, 57, pp. 365 - 384, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10790-021-09831-z
    Journal articles | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, 'Catholic Action, Sydney Style: Catholic lay organisations from friendly societies to the Vice Squad', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 108, pp. 172 - 172
    Journal articles | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, 'Late scholastic probable arguments and their contrast with rhetorical and demonstrative arguments', Philosophical Inquiries, 10, pp. 99 - 116, http://dx.doi.org/10.4454/philinq.v10i2.424
    Journal articles | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, 'Mathematics as a Science of Non-abstract Reality: Aristotelian Realist Philosophies of Mathematics', Foundations of Science, 27, pp. 327 - 344, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10699-021-09786-1
    Journal articles | 2022
    Franklin J, 2022, 'The global/local distinction vindicates Leibniz’s theodicy', Theology and Science, 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2022.2124481
    Journal articles | 2022
    Joaquin JJ; Franklin J, 2022, 'A Causal-Mentalist View of Propositions', Organon F, 29, pp. 47 - 77, http://dx.doi.org/10.31577/orgf.2022.29103
    Journal articles | 2022
    Müller D; Chiodo M; Franklin J, 2022, 'A Hippocratic Oath for Mathematicians? Mapping the Landscape of Ethics in Mathematics', Science and Engineering Ethics, 28, pp. 41, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11948-022-00389-y
    Journal articles | 2021
    Franklin J, 2021, 'Knowledge and the Philosophy of Number: What Numbers Are and How They Are Known', PHILOSOPHIA MATHEMATICA, 30, pp. 127 - 129, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/philmat/nkab020
    Journal articles | 2021
    Franklin J, 2021, 'Sydney 1803: When Catholics were tolerated and Freemasons banned', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, 107, pp. 135 - 155
    Journal articles | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'Antitheodicy and the Grading of Theodicies by Moral Offensiveness', Sophia, 59, pp. 563 - 576, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11841-020-00765-w
    Journal articles | 2020
    Franklin J, 2020, 'D.M. Armstrong: Sydney's most distinguished philosopher: life and work', Sydney Realist, pp. 1 - 6, https://philpapers.org/rec/FRADAS-4
    Journal articles | 2019
    Franklin J, 2019, 'Catholic rural virtue in Australia: ideal and reality', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 40, pp. 39 - 61, https://web.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/ruralvirtue.pdf
    Journal articles | 2019
    Franklin J, 2019, 'Emergentism as an option in the philosophy of religion: between materialist atheism and pantheism', Suri: Journal of the Philosophical Association of the Philippines, 7, pp. 1 - 1
    Journal articles | 2019
    Franklin J, 2019, 'Philosophy's Loss of Logic to Mathematics: An Inadequately Understood Take-Over', PHILOSOPHIA MATHEMATICA, 27, pp. 440 - 443, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/philmat/nkz018
    Journal articles | 2018
    Franklin J, 2018, 'Metaphysics and Scientific Realism: Essays in Honour of David Malet Armstrong, edited by Francesco F. Calemi', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 96, pp. 183 - 186, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048402.2017.1306088
    Journal articles | 2018
    Walker MJ; Franklin J, 2018, 'An argument against drug testing welfare recipients', Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 28, pp. 309 - 340, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ken.2018.0019
    Journal articles | 2017
    Franklin J, 2017, 'The Sydney intellectual/religious scene, 1916-2016', St. Mark's Review: a journal of Christian thought and opinion, pp. 20 - 55
    Journal articles | 2017
    Franklin JW, 2017, 'Discrete and continuous: a fundamental dichotomy of mathematics', Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 7, pp. 355 - 378, http://dx.doi.org/10.5642/jhummath.201702.18
    Journal articles | 2017
    Legg C; Franklin J, 2017, 'Perceiving Necessity', Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, 98, pp. 320 - 343, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/papq.12133
    Journal articles | 2016
    Franklin J, 2016, 'Elliptical orbits and the aristotelian scientific revolution: Comment on Groarke', Studia Neoaristotelica, 13, pp. 169 - 179, http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/studneoar20161326
    Journal articles | 2016
    Franklin J, 2016, 'Logical Probability and the Strength of Mathematical Conjectures', Mathematical Intelligencer, 38, pp. 14 - 19, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00283-015-9612-3
    Journal articles | 2016
    Franklin JW, 2016, 'Catholic missions to Aboriginal Australia: an evaluation of their overall effect', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 37, pp. 45 - 68, http://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/aboriginalmissions.pdf
    Journal articles | 2015
    Franklin J, 2015, 'Uninstantiated properties and semi-platonist aristotelianism', Review of Metaphysics, 69, pp. 25 - 45
    Journal articles | 2015
    Franklin JW, 2015, 'Gerald Ridsdale, pedophile priest, in his own words', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 36, pp. 219 - 230
    Journal articles | 2014
    Franklin J, 2014, 'Global and Local', Mathematical Intelligencer, 36, pp. 4 - 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00283-014-9482-0
    Journal articles | 2014
    Franklin JW; Franklin JW; Nolan GO; Gilchrist M, 2014, 'Archbishop Mannix: home life at Raheen', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 35, pp. 51 - 64, http://www.australiancatholichistoricalsociety.com.au/journal/
    Journal articles | 2014
    Franklin JW, 2014, 'Freedom from religion and freedom from irreligion', Connor Court Quarterly, 9, pp. 1 - 12, http://www.connorcourt.com/catalog1/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34
    Journal articles | 2013
    Franklin JW, 2013, 'Arguments whose strength depends on continuous variation', Informal Logic, 33, pp. 33 - 56, http://dx.doi.org/10.22329/il.v33i1.3610
    Journal articles | 2013
    Franklin JW, 2013, 'Convent slave laundries? Magdalen asylums in Australia', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 34, pp. 70 - 90, http://www.australiancatholichistoricalsociety.com.au/
    Journal articles | 2012
    Burgman MA; Franklin JW; Hayes KR; Peters GW; Sisson SA, 2012, 'Modeling extreme risks in ecology', Risk Analysis, 32, pp. 1956 - 1966, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2012.01871.x
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin J, 2012, 'Science by Conceptual Analysis', Studia Neoaristotelica, 9, pp. 3 - 24, http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/studneoar2012911
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin JW, 2012, 'Discussion paper: how much of commonsense and legal reasoning is formalizable? A review of conceptual obstacles', Law, Probability and Risk, 11, pp. 225 - 245, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/lpr/mgs007
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin JW, 2012, 'Global justice: An anti-collectivist and pro-causal ethic', Solidarity: The Journal of Catholic Social Thought and Secular Ethics, 2, pp. Article 2 (12pp)
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin JW, 2012, 'Memoirs by Australian priests, religious and ex-religious', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 33, pp. 142 - 162
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin JW, 2012, 'Science by conceptual analysis: The genius of the late scholastics', Studia Neoaristotelica, 9, pp. 3 - 24
    Journal articles | 2012
    Franklin JW, 2012, 'The missionary with 150 wives', Quadrant, 56, pp. 30 - 32
    Journal articles | 2011
    Chan SW; Franklin JW, 2011, 'A text-based decision support system for financial sequence prediction', Decision Support Systems, 52, pp. 189 - 198, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2011.07.003
    Journal articles | 2011
    Franklin JW, 2011, 'Aristotelianism in the philosophy of mathematics', Studia Neoaristotelica, 8, pp. 3 - 15
    Journal articles | 2011
    Franklin JW, 2011, 'Caritas in Veritate: Economic Activity as Personal Encounter and the Economy of Gratuitousness', Solidarity: The Journal of Catholic Social Thought and Secular Ethics, 1, pp. Article 3
    Journal articles | 2011
    Franklin JW, 2011, 'The objective Bayesian conceptualisation of proof and reference class problems', Sydney Law Review, 33, pp. 545 - 561
    Journal articles | 2010
    Franklin J, 2010, 'The Art of Conjecturing, together with Letter to a Friend on Sets in Court Tennis.', ISIS, 101, pp. 213 - 214, http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/653871
    Journal articles | 2008
    Franklin JW; Sisson SA; Burgman MA; Martin JK, 2008, 'Evaluating extreme risks in invasion ecology: learning from banking compliance', Diversity and Distributions, 14, pp. 581 - 591, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2008.00478.x
    Journal articles | 2008
    Newstead AG; Franklin JW, 2008, 'On the reality of the continuum discussion note: A reply to Ormell, `Russell`s moment of candour`, philosophy', Philosophy, 83, pp. 117 - 127, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S003181910800034X
    Journal articles | 2007
    Franklin JW, 2007, 'International compliance regimes: A public sector without restraints', Australian Journal of Professional and Applied Ethics, 9, pp. 86 - 95
    Journal articles | 2006
    Franklin J, 2006, 'A “Professional Issues and Ethics in Mathematics” course', MSOR Connections, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.11120/msor.2006.06030002
    Journal articles | 2006
    Franklin J, 2006, 'Case comment—United States v. Copeland, 369 F. Supp. 2d 275 (E.D.N.Y. 2005): quantification of the ‘proof beyond reasonable doubt’ standard', Law, Probability and Risk, 5, pp. 159 - 165, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/lpr/mgl017
    Journal articles | 2006
    Franklin JW, 2006, 'Case comment - United States v. Copeland, 369 F.Supp. 2d 275 (E.D.N.Y. 2005): A colateral attack on the legal maxim that proof beyond a reasonable doubt is unquantifiable?', Law, Probability and Risk, 5, pp. 159 - 165
    Journal articles | 2006
    Franklin JW, 2006, 'Risk-driven global compliance regimes in banking and accounting: the new Law Merchant', Law, Probability and Risk, 4, pp. 237 - 250
    Journal articles | 2005
    Franklin J, 2005, 'The elements of statistical learning: data mining, inference and prediction', Mathematical Intelligencer, 27, pp. 83 - 85, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02985802
    Journal articles | 2004
    Franklin JW; Campbell S, 2004, 'Randomness and the justification of induction', Synthese, 138, pp. 79 - 99, http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:SYNT.0000012206.01154.c7
    Journal articles | 2004
    Franklin JW; Tueno SC, 2004, 'Low fertility among women graduates', People and Place, 12, pp. 37 - 44
    Journal articles | 2004
    Franklin JW, 2004, 'On the parallel between mathematics and morals', Philosophy, 79, pp. 97 - 119, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819104000075
    Journal articles | 2003
    Chan SW; Franklin JW, 2003, 'Dynamic context generation for natural language understanding: A multifaceted knowledge approach', IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics Part A - Systems and Humans, 33, pp. 23 - 41, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TSMCA.2003.811129
    Journal articles | 2003
    Franklin J; Patrick CM; Gray F; Hutchings P; Hodges HJ; Wood WD; Bryant J, 2003, 'Book reviews', Sophia, 42, pp. 135 - 148, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02782405
    Journal articles | 2003
    Franklin JW, 2003, 'The representation of context: ideas from artificial intelligence', Law, Probability and Risk, 2, pp. 191 - 199
    Journal articles | 2002
    Franklin J, 2002, 'Stove's discovery of the Worst Argument in the World (Philosophy)', PHILOSOPHY, 77, pp. 615 - 624, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819102000487
    Journal articles | 2002
    Franklin JW, 2002, 'A `Professional Issues` course: Grounding Philosophy in Workplace', The Pantaneto Forum, 7
    Journal articles | 2002
    Franklin JW, 2002, 'Stove`s discovery of the worst argument in the world', Philosophy, 77, pp. 615 - 624, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819102000487
    Journal articles | 2002
    Franklin JW, 2002, 'Two caricatures, II: Leibniz`s best world', International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 52, pp. 45 - 56, http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1015639814086
    Journal articles | 2001
    Franklin JW, 2001, 'Resurrecting logical probability', Erkenntnis, 55, pp. 277 - 305, http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1012918016159
    Journal articles | 2000
    Franklin JW, 2000, 'The Sokal hoax and postmodernist embarrassment', Continuum : Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 14, pp. 359 - 362
    Journal articles | 2000
    Franklin JW, 2000, 'Thomas Kuhn`s irrationalism', new criterion, 18, pp. 29 - 34
    Journal articles | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Accountancy as computational casuistics', Australian Accounting Review, 9, pp. 36 - 43, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1835-2561.1999.tb00107.x
    Journal articles | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Catholics versus Masons', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 20, pp. 1 - 15
    Journal articles | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Mathematical jobs for the talented', Australian Mathematical Society Gazette, pp. 222 - 226
    Journal articles | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Structure and domain-independence in the formal sciences', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 30, pp. 721 - 723
    Journal articles | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'The Sydney philosophy disturbances', Quadrant, pp. 16 - 21
    Journal articles | 1999
    Gunawardena H; McDonough R; Hepburn L; Harré R; Alexander PF; Ankeny RA; Coopersmith J; Rasmussen N; Ruse M; Franklin J; Brown PG; Cox P; Oldroyd D; Rutledge D; Servos JW; Shanks N, 1999, 'Reviews', Metascience, 8, pp. 288 - 345, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf02913270
    Journal articles | 1998
    Chan SW; Franklin JW, 1998, 'Symbolic connectionism in natural language disambiguation', IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks, 9, pp. 739 - 755, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/72.712149
    Journal articles | 1998
    Franklin J, 1998, 'Two caricatures, I, Pascal's wager', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION, 44, pp. 109 - 114, http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=000076652300003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Journal articles | 1998
    Franklin JW, 1998, 'Afterword', Anything goes, 49, pp. 195 - 198, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.09.003
    Journal articles | 1998
    Franklin JW, 1998, 'Gross moral turpitude: The Orr case', Codex (Australia's internet journal of ideas), pp. -- - --
    Journal articles | 1998
    Franklin JW, 1998, 'Two caricatures, I: Pascal`s wager', International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 44, pp. 109 - 114
    Journal articles | 1997
    Bellhouse DR; Franklin JW, 1997, 'The language of chance', International Statistical Review, 65, pp. 73 - 85, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-5823.1997.tb00368.x
    Journal articles | 1997
    Franklin JW, 1997, 'Stove`s Anti-Darwinism', Philosophy, 72, pp. 133 - 136, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100056692
    Journal articles | 1997
    Franklin JW, 1997, 'Where is mathematics going?', Australian Mathematical Society Gazette, pp. 114 - 119
    Journal articles | 1997
    Johnson AJ, 1997, 'Global and Local', Aurora: Turun Yliopisto, 36, pp. 4 - 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00283-014-9482-0
    Journal articles | 1996
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1996, 'Quasi mental clusters: a neural model of knowledge discovery in narrative contexts', Cybernetics and Systems (Online), pp. 1069 - 1101
    Journal articles | 1996
    Franklin JW, 1996, 'Catholic thought and catholic action: Dr Paddy Ryan MSC and the Red peril', Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 17, pp. 44 - 55
    Journal articles | 1995
    Bellhouse DR; Franklin JW, 1995, 'The language of chance', Bulletin of the International Statisticsl Institute, pp. 1207 - 1223
    Journal articles | 1995
    Franklin JW, 1995, 'Philosophy, mathematics and structure: interview, Winter 1995', Philosopher, 1, pp. 31 - 38
    Journal articles | 1994
    FRANKLIN J, 1994, 'SKEPTICISMS HEALTH BUOYANT', PHILOSOPHY, 69, pp. 503 - 504, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100047318
    Journal articles | 1994
    Franklin J, 1994, 'The formal sciences discover the philosophers' stone', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 25, pp. 513 - 533, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0039-3681(94)90045-0
    Journal articles | 1993
    Valliappan S; Pham TD; Murti V; Franklin J, 1993, 'Fuzzy Logic for Automatic Finite Element Mesh Generation', Computer‐Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 8, pp. 1 - 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8667.1993.tb00188.x
    Journal articles | 1991
    FRANKLIN J, 1991, 'ETHICS OF MATHEMATICS', MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCER, 13, pp. 4 - 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03024064
    Journal articles | 1991
    FRANKLIN J, 1991, 'REFLECTIONS ON GODEL,KURT - WANG,H', HISTORY OF EUROPEAN IDEAS, 13, pp. 637 - 638, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-6599(91)90079-E
    Journal articles | 1991
    Franklin J; Hermann R; Dawson JW, 1991, 'Letters to the editor', The Mathematical Intelligencer, 13, pp. 4 - 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03024064
    Journal articles | 1991
    Franklin J, 1991, 'Healthy Scepticism', Philosophy, 66, pp. 305 - 324, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100064913
    Journal articles | 1990
    FRANKLIN J, 1990, 'CHANCE AND STRUCTURE - VICKERS,JM', HISTORY OF EUROPEAN IDEAS, 12, pp. 313 - 314, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-6599(90)90268-J
    Journal articles | 1990
    FRANKLIN J, 1990, 'THE EMPIRE OF CHANCE - HOW PROBABILITY CHANGED SCIENCE AND EVERYDAY LIFE - GIGERENZER,G, SWIJTINK,Z, PORTER,T, DASTON,L, BEATTY,J, KRUGER,L', HISTORY OF EUROPEAN IDEAS, 12, pp. 572 - 573, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-6599(90)90031-9
    Journal articles | 1989
    Franklin J, 1989, 'Mathematical necessity and reality', Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 67, pp. 286 - 294, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048408912350131
    Journal articles | 1989
    Franklin J, 1989, 'Species in aristotle', Philosophy, 64, pp. 107 - 108, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100044090
    Journal articles | 1988
    Franklin J, 1988, 'Homomorphisms between Verma modules in characteristic p', Journal of Algebra, 112, pp. 58 - 85, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0021-8693(88)90132-9
    Journal articles | 1988
    Franklin J, 1988, 'Reply to armstrong on dispositions', Philosophical Quarterly, 38, pp. 86 - 87, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2220270
    Journal articles | 1987
    Franklin J, 1987, 'Non-deductive logic in mathematics', British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 38, pp. 1 - 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjps/38.1.1
    Journal articles | 1986
    Franklin J, 1986, 'Are dispositions reducible to categorical properties?', Philosophical Quarterly, 36, pp. 62 - 64, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2219311
    Journal articles | 1986
    Franklin J, 1986, 'Aristotle on Species Variation', Philosophy, 61, pp. 245 - 252, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100021094
    Journal articles | 1984
    FRANKLIN J, 1984, 'NATURAL-SCIENCES AS TEXTUAL INTERPRETATION - THE HERMENEUTICS OF THE NATURAL SIGN', PHILOSOPHY AND PHENOMENOLOGICAL RESEARCH, 44, pp. 509 - 520, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2107616
    Journal articles | 1983
    FRANKLIN J, 1983, 'MENTAL FURNITURE FROM THE PHILOSOPHERS', ET CETERA, 40, pp. 177 - 191, https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:A1983RH10900003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=891bb5ab6ba270e68a29b250adbe88d1
    Journal articles | 1983
    Franklin J, 1983, 'Philosophy and mathematical modelling', Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, 2, pp. 118 - 119, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/teamat/2.3.118
    Journal articles | 1981
    Franklin JW, 1981, 'More on Hume's Dialogues IX', Philosophical Quarterly, 30, pp. 69 - 71
    Journal articles | 1980
    Franklin J, 1980, 'More on part IX of Hume's dialogues', Philosophical Quarterly, 30, pp. 69 - 71, http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2219382
  • Conference Papers | 2009
    Franklin J, 2009, 'Calwell, Catholicism and the origins of multicultural Australa', in Luttrell J (ed.), Catholics in Australian Public Life since 1788, Catholic Institute of Sydney, Sydney, pp. 41 - 55, presented at Australian Catholic Historical Society 2009 Conference, Sydney, 12 September 2009, https://web.maths.unsw.edu.au/~jim/calwellACHSconf09.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2009
    Franklin JW, 2009, 'Temperance in Australia: The restraint project', in Temperance Revisited: A call for restraint in contemporary Australia, Warrane College, Sydney, Australia, presented at Warrane Autumn Seminar 2009, Warrane College, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 May 2009
    Conference Papers | 2009
    Newstead AG; Franklin JW, 2009, 'The epistemology of geometry I: The problem of exactness', in Proceedings of the 9th Conference of the Australasian Society for Cognitive Science, Australasian Society for Cognitive Science, Sydney, presented at Australasian Society for Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, 20 September 2009 - 02 October 2009
    Conference Papers | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Complexity theory, mathematics and the unity of science', in Michael Matthews (ed.), 2nd Annual Conference (b), 2nd Annual Conference (b), University of NSW, pp. 91 - 94, presented at 2nd Annual Conference (b), University of NSW
    Conference Papers | 1999
    Franklin JW, 1999, 'Postmodern threats to science', in Michael Matthews (ed.), 2nd Annual Conference (b), 2nd Annual Conference (b), University of NSW, pp. 85 - 90, presented at 2nd Annual Conference (b), University of NSW
    Conference Papers | 1996
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1996, 'A brain-state-in-a-box network for narrative comprehension and recall', in IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks, Washington DC, USA, pp. 694 - 699, presented at IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks 1996, Washington DC, USA, 03 June 1996 - 06 June 1996
    Conference Papers | 1996
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1996, 'Rememberance of discourse based on textual continuity: a spreading activation network', in Pacific Rim International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Cairns, Qld, pp. 218 - 228, presented at Pacific Rim Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Cairns, Qld, 25 August 1996 - 29 August 1996, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61532-6_19
    Conference Papers | 1996
    Franklin JW, 1996, 'How a neural net grows symbols', in Australian Conference on Neural Networks, Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1996, Canberra, presented at Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1996, Canberra, 10 April 1996 - 12 April 1996
    Conference Papers | 1995
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1995, 'A complementary framework in linguistic reasoning', in 6th Aust Conference on Neural Networks, Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1995, Melbourne, presented at Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1995, Melbourne, 06 February 1995 - 08 February 1995
    Conference Papers | 1995
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1995, 'A neurosymbolic integrated model for semantic ambiguation resolution', in IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks 1995, Perth, WA, pp. 2965 - 2970, presented at IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks, Perth, WA, 27 November 1995 - 01 December 1995
    Conference Papers | 1995
    Chan SR; Franklin JW, 1995, 'A neurosymbolic integrated model for semantic ambiguation resolution', in IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks 1995, IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks, Perth, WA, presented at IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks, Perth, WA, 27 November 1995 - 01 December 1995
    Conference Papers | 1995
    Eisenberg A; Franklin JW, 1995, 'Image compression using neural networks', in 6th Aust Conference on Neural Networks, Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1995, Melbourne, presented at Australian Conference on Neural Networks 1995, Melbourne, 06 February 1995 - 08 February 1995
    Conference Papers | 1994
    Chan SWK; Franklin J, 1994, 'A neural network model for acquisition of semantic structures', in ISSIPNN 1994 - 1994 International Symposium on Speech, Image Processing and Neural Networks, Proceedings, pp. 221 - 224, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/SIPNN.1994.344927
    Conference Papers | 1994
    Franklin J, 1994, 'Fuzzy representations in neural nets', in Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), pp. 69 - 81, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/3-540-58279-7_20
    Conference Papers | 1993
    Kurutach W; Franklin J, 1993, 'On temporal-fuzziness in temporal fuzzy databases', in Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), pp. 154 - 165, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57234-1_14

Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics, 2005

Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 2019

I am the editor of the Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society.